The Only Burgers at This Picnic were Pittsburghers

By Vice Chargé de Presse Ken McCrory

It was an early celebration of Bastille Day (or a non-Bastille Day Bastille Day as Bailli Peter Hanowich termed it) when the Pittsburgh Chaine held its first picnic on June 25th in North Park. Regency Caterers by Hyatt, under the supervision of Executive Chef Michael Fischetti, and Director Robert Slick, provided a visual and gustatory feast for the casually dressed crowd.

A series of food stations offered an incredible variety of choices that only left everyone the decision - Where to begin! By the door of the historic Rose Barn Pavillion, the grill station offered a choice of Shrimp, Quail or French Cut Lamb Chops, smoked over a hardwood fire. Inside was a line of tables sagging under cold offerings such as Poached Salmon, Caviar Sandwiches, Foie Gras, Tuna Nicoise and Smoked Turkey. As he quickly scooped Caviar onto his plate, Chevalier Bill Bryan reminded everyone that the Chaine rule about not waiting to eat - "eat hot foot hot", also has a Pittsburgh corollary "eat cold food before it gets hot".

A stop at the next station provided a choice of Pates, along with Smoked Leg of Veal and Chilled Tenderloin Dijon, unless you first detoured to the saut station for Duck Breast and Baby Vegetables. A variety of cheeses along with Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Whole Artichokes, Mushrooms, Leaks and Fennel was the final entre stop.

From the "beer cellar" of Bailli Peter Hanowich came such brews as Tsing Tao (China), Grolsch (Holland), Kirin (Japan) and Dos Equus (Mexico). Of course, no Chaine event could be contemplated without wine - in this case, a fun array of "picnic wines" such as:
- Brut d'Argent and Bouvet Signature Brut - from the Cotes du Jura and Loire, respectively. These sparklers were enhanced by the picnic champagne flutes that Barbara Hanowich ("Mrs. Bailli") decorated with the Chaine logo;
- Macon Lugny "les Petite Pierres" - a big 100% Chardonnay White Burgundy;

- Aveleda Vinho Verde - one of the famous Portugese "green wines"
- Fontana Candida Frascati - Chef Fischetti said no self-respecting Italian would attend a picnic that didn't serve a cold Frascati.

- Drouhin's Beaujolais Villages, a Chateau de la Chaize Brouilly and a Cabernet from Los Vascos, the South American outpost of Chateau Lafite, were among the red offerings.

After this we needed an interlude before desert. Nobody was in shape for volleyball, but Bouls (Bocc to Chef Fischetti) was a possibility. Vice-Chancelier Herb Sperling was King of the Court until he was dethroned by Pam Cibula. Herb threatened to take his Boul and go home, but the thought of missing desert was intolerable.

It should have been - desert wasn't toasted marshmallows folks! Linzer and Sacher tortes, Napoleons, Petit Fours and Madelines were waiting at the desert station. If this wasn't enough the Pastry Chef was ready to prepare Crepes, Strawberries Romanoff or Chevalier Foster Goldman's favorite - Bananas Foster (nobody believed his story about it being named after him).

As the day ended Chevalier Mort Aaronson still had one question - "What happened to the hot dog course?"